The St. Cloud Times published an opinion piece on Monday, Jan. 30, written by Patrick Marker, a St. John’s Prepatory School graduate and victim of clergy sexual abuse, titled “Your Turn: Gagliardi part of SJU’s problem.” The piece accused SJU Head Football Coach John Gagliardi of misconduct similar to that of Joe Paterno, recently-deceased football coach at Penn Sate University under whom Asstistant Coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted of sexual assault.
The article alleged that Gagliardi was silent on the issue of past sexual assault on the St. John’s campus. In the recently-renovated “Comments” section on the article’s page on the St. Cloud Times website, Marker was immediately attacked by current St. John’s sudents and alumni for being a “disgrace to the state of Minnesota.”
Granted, Marker’s piece makes accusations with little actual evidence, such as saying Gagliardi “offended victims of sexual abuse and their supporters” and “demonstrated poor judgement with his words,” without ever presenting factual statements or information to support this viewpoint – such as the factually unsupported claim that a past offender at SJU drove the football bus. However, and it is a big however, Marker has perhaps been treated too harshly by the St. John’s community. First, many comments decry the St. Cloud Times for publishing the piece, despite the clear disclaimer that the publication is not resposible for the written content. Marker is not the institutional voice of the St. Cloud Times; he is simply his own opinion.
Furthermore, comments that denounce Marker as a “fat-headed toolbox” not only fails to represent a positive discourse in a public sphere, but also destroys the sense of community and brotherhood so synonymous with St. John’s. Yes, Marker’s view is unpopular and made with reckless disregard for evidence or facts. Yet, he is entitled to his own free opinion and the ability with which to express that opinion – a right which Johnnies and all people should understand and defend.
John Gagliardi is a symbol of St. John’s University in many respects, and while he is also subject to criticism, the criticism in Marker’s article is unsupported by fact or evidence. However, this does not mean that every Johnnie should forget the values we represent in hastening to defend one of our dearest symbols. Patrick Marker is entitled to publishing his own opinion, despite how much we may disagree with it.